DiFrancesco promoted to full-time assistant coach

Much like she did as a player during her Northwestern State career, Stacey DiFrancesco impressed in her first season as a coach.

DiFrancesco’s production did not go unnoticed as head coach Sean Kiracofe announced DiFrancesco’s promotion to full-time assistant coach Thursday.

DiFrancesco’s ascension is subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, which includes Northwestern State.

In her first season on the NSU staff, DiFrancesco helped mold junior outside hitter Reagan Rogers into a first-team All-Southland Conference selection. Rogers’ breakout campaign included 427 kills, which ranks second in school single-season history.

“Those who follow NSU athletics know what an important role Stacey has played in the growth and success of the volleyball program here, and in a short amount of time, she has been able to translate that into helping all of our student-athletes, specifically helping Reagan Rogers to one of the best individual years for an outside in program history,” Kiracofe said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing her help train all of our positions this spring and going into next fall.”

In addition to working with Rogers, DiFrancesco helped Hannah Brister earn SLC Freshman of the Year honors despite Brister undergoing a midseason position change from outside hitter to right side.

DiFrancesco, a four-year Northwestern State letter winner, is one of the NSU program’s most decorated players, helping lead the Lady Demons to the 2014 Southland Conference Tournament championship and their first NCAA Tournament berth.

She holds school records for career kills (1,318) and total attacks (4,683) and produced two of the top seven single-season kill totals and was a two-time first-team Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana selection.

DiFrancesco, a three-time All-Southland Conference selection and the 2011 Southland Conference and LSWA Freshman of the Year, began her coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Clemson before returning to Natchitoches to help begin the program at Natchitoches Central High School.

“We are blessed to be able to have Stacey join the coaching staff on a full-time basis,” Kiracofe said. “She loves this university and this program, which is something that shows up on a daily basis in the gym. That is also something that will continue to help us while recruiting as she can give a first-hand account of what an amazing experience student-athletes will have at Northwestern State.”